The Accpac Guy
Odds and ends regarding the Sage ERP Accpac (Sage 300) system and other IT stuff I find useful or interesting.
ACCPAC Database API
Snipped from the R&D Team Blog
Accpac Database API Accpac is a three tier application with the business logic separated from the database. The business logic objects (the real core of the Accounting Applications) communicate with the database via a common database API. Then there are database drivers that translate this API into calls to the database server currently being used. How the database driver accomplishes this is entirely up to the driver. The SQL Server driver uses ODBC to communicate with the SQL Sever Native driver. Oracle uses the Oracle ODBC driver. Pervasive communicates with both the relational layer using SQL calls, and with the transactional layer making direct Pervasive API calls. The key point is that all this detail is invisible to the Business Logic. The application programmer creating the business logic objects, just needs to know the Accpac database API to do his job. Then all the differences in the databases are isolated to the Accpac database driver. If a new version of a database server is released and Accpac needs to be updated to support it, then its just a matter of providing a new database driver, without requiring any other application changes. The Accpac database API includes a number of record oriented API calls, a number of meta-data calls and a number of set based operations. The record based APIs operate on one record at a time, such as read a record based on a supplied key, update that record. The meta-data calls return information about the structure of the database, things like get a list of all the tables in the database, get information on all the fields in a table. The set oriented API calls operate on a set of records at a time. Such as read all records where the description starts with A, or update all records changing any with customer number 1200 to 1400, or delete all records with status “deleted”.
Sage CRM v7.1 SP2 Feature Overview
Some really nice improvements in Sage CRM SP2:
With Sage CRM v7.1 Service Pack 2 (SP2) fully tested and ready to go, we’re proud to announce that the theme of this release is Cross Browser Compatibility. We have been aware for some time that Cross Browser compatibility is a major customer requirement. This is even reflected on our ideas hub – you’ll see it’s one of the top requested features. In an effort to deliver Cross Browser Compatibility to you as soon as possible, we have included it in the upcoming service pack rather than asking you to wait until our end of year release.
Cross Browser Compatibility – what are the end user browser options in SP2?
As most of you are aware, previous versions of Sage CRM were optimised for Internet Explorer. The options listed below will be available to end users in SP2. Cross browser compatibility is focused on the end user experience, i.e. the Main Menu area. The user experience and functionality throughout the Main Menu is consistent across Firefox, Chrome, Safari, and Internet Explorer (IE).
End User Supported Browsers in Sage CRM v7.1 SP2
IE – versions 7, 8 and 9 (as per Sage CRM v7.1 SP1)
Safari – latest version Safari browser on OSX (Apple MAC). Note that the Tablet theme is recommended for use with iPad – IOS is not in scope)
Chrome – latest version
Firefox – latest version Continue reading
Sage CRM 7.1 SP2 released
Just received in from the Sage CRM team over at The Sage CRM Blog:
We’re delighted to announce the release of Sage CRM v7.1 Service Pack 2 (SP2). The theme of this release is cross browser compatibility which means you can now access Sage CRM in IE, Safari, Chrome and Firefox. This has been a major customer requirement for some time and we’re excited to be able to bring it to you in this release.
Excited to finally see cross-browser support! Seriously, who still uses Internet Explorer? Word on the street though is that if your CRM is installed with Accpac integration, you need to give this Service Pack a miss until the go-ahead has been received from the development team.
ACCPAC Plus in full screen mode
Yup, this is for all of you still relying on good old faithul ACCPAC Plus for DOS. You might have noticed that when your hardware or OS was upgraded, and you reinstalled ACCPAC Plus, that suddenly it was running in a window and if you pressed alt-enter to make it full screen, it was all funky colours and only filled half the now full screen DOS box. Well, never fear. Although you seriously need to consider upgrading to Sage ERP Accpac, some of you have some quite sound reasons as to why you cannot or will not upgrade. This then, is for you:
1. Run ACCPAC Plus
Double-click the shortcut to start ACCPAC Plus.
2. Select the window’s colour properties page
Right-click on the window title bar to get the pop-up menu. Choose the Properties entry and then the Colors tab. Note the line of 16 colours in the middle of the dialog box. You are going to change these. Continue reading